PRE-OPENING ANNOUNCED: Reconstruction of Closed Campground in Nagano

A new paid RV park has opened in Shiga Prefecture, offering a full range of services for extended stays. The USE No-togawa park in Higashiomi City has 14 spaces and features a wastewater dump station, 24-hour toilets, electricity, and water. The overnight fee starts at 6,600 yen.

The supermarket chain Aeon has launched a motorhome rental service in Hokkaido. The company started the service in cooperation with a local operator, with rental prices starting from 30,000 yen for two days, and customers can leave their personal cars in the store's parking lot during the rental period.

The VANLIFE ROOMKIT conversion kit for the Toyota Sienta will be available at 13 Toyota Corolla Hakata dealerships starting April 18. This marks the kit's first availability in the Kyushu region, with a demo vehicle stationed at the new CARMINE Yahatanishi outlet. The patented kit, registered in November 2025, transforms the five-seat vehicle into a living space for two adults.

Japanese company Towa Motors Sales has introduced the 'Zelt NV' camper van based on the Nissan NV200 compact van. The model, measuring 4.4 m in length and 1.7 m in width, features a pop-up roof, enabling overnight accommodation for up to four people while maintaining the capacity to carry four passengers facing forward in driving mode.

The Carstay service and Michi-no-Eki Utsukushigahara Kogen in Nagano Prefecture have launched a paid overnight parking area for camper vans and motorhomes. The dedicated area offers 11 spaces, bookable from May 23 to October 31, with rates starting at 3000 yen. This is a pilot project to separate overnight tourists from regular visitors, aiming to address parking shortages and unauthorized use of facilities.

Brands PARKS PROJECT JAPAN and GORDON MILLER announced the LEAVE IT BETTER TOGETHER partnership project to promote national parks through vanlife. Photographer Ryuhei Hata will visit all 35 of Japan's national parks in a specially branded GMLVAN V-02 camper van. The collaboration includes plans for limited-edition products and joint events.